Dallas Mavericks defeat Oklahoma City Thunder behind Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving
Cooper Flagg scored 26 points with eight assists and P.J. Washington added 18 points as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 on Wednesday night. The win lifts the Mavericks to a 3-2 record, moving the team over the .500 threshold for the first time since Flagg joined the team last fall. Dallas established control early by taking a 12-point lead in the first half before extending the advantage to 27 points in the fourth quarter.
#NBA | 2026-10-28 | Mavericks vs. ThunderCooper Flagg Over 23.5 Points (-120 MGM, -121 CZR, -130 FD)- I'm usually very cautious about targeting players against OKC, but tonight's situation is completely different. The Thunder are coming into Dallas severely shorthanded,… pic.twitter.com/ZdHp9vCCKl
The matchup marked Kyrie Irving’s first regular-season home game since March 3, 2025, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. Irving contributed 15 points on Wednesday, scoring 13 in the first half alone by converting his first four field goal attempts, including three shots from behind the arc. He sat out Dallas’ home opener last week on the second half of a back-to-back.
Oklahoma City plays shorthanded without core rotation players
The Thunder dropped to 4-1 on the season as Ajay Mitchell led the team with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 21. Oklahoma City played its second game of the extended absences of Jalen Williams, who is sidelined by a broken leg and a dislocated ankle, and Cason Wallace, who is recovering from a torn labrum. The Thunder were also missing Chet Holmgren due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee, alongside Alex Caruso, who sat out with patellar tendinitis that sidelined him during Monday’s home win over Phoenix.
Dallas capitalized on the visitors’ depleted lineup by dominating from 3-point range. The Mavericks sank a season-best 16 3-pointers on 45 attempts, connecting on 11 shots from deep during the first half alone. Conversely, the Thunder managed a season-low 5 of 32 from beyond the arc, shooting 15.6%, which marked the lowest 3-point percentage for a Mavericks opponent this season.
Daniel Gafford hits first career 3-pointer
The Mavericks’ long-range accuracy extended to center Daniel Gafford, who made his first 3 in eight NBA seasons. The basket came on the 2,384th career shot of Gafford’s career. His only previous 3-point attempt occurred on March 29, 2022, with Washington.
The victory gave first-year Mavericks coach Dusty May his first home win on his second attempt. Both teams will face the Houston Rockets next, Dallas at home on Friday and Oklahoma City on the road on Saturday.
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